How to Make Your Own Fruit Cups for Kids
Fruit cups are a favorite in children's school lunches as well as for after school snacks, but they often come canned and drenched in high fructose corn syrup. The canning process removes important nutrients and fiber, while the high fructose corn syrup adds a lot of sugar. The large amount of sugar means many empty calories with no nutritional benefit. Make fruit cups for your children at home for a snack that is healthier and tastier than the canned fruit cup. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 1 to 1 1/2 c. assorted seasonal fruit per fruit cup
- Colander, optional
- 2 paper towels or clean dish towels
- Sharp paring knife
- 1 8 to 12 oz. airtight, plastic food storage container per fruit cup
- 2 tsp. citrus juice, such as lemon, lime or orange
Instructions
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Wash whole fruits under a cool stream of water. Use your fingers to loosen bits of dirt or debris as you rinse. If rinsing berries, you can speed the process by rinsing in a colander and draining the water.
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Place fruit on a paper towel or clean dish towel to dry. Use another paper towel or dish towel to blot up some of the water. Be gentle so as not to smash or bruise the fruits.
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3
Peel fruits with inedible or unappetizing peelings such as bananas or peaches, and discard the peelings.
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Cut each piece of fruit into bite-sized chunks, when applicable. Do not chop smaller fruits, such as grapes, raspberries or blackberries, as these are already bite-sized.
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Fill each fruit cup with an assortment of bite-sized fruit pieces.
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Toss 2 tsp. citrus juice into each fruit cup to prevent browning of bananas and apples, if applicable. Place the lid on each container. Gently shake each fruit cup to insure that each bite is well-coated.
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Tips & Warnings
You may use bottled lemon or lime juice to prevent browning if you like, but remember that it tastes stronger and more pungent than fresh juice. This may add an off taste to the fruit cup that your child dislikes.
If using tart fruits like strawberries or blackberries, mix fruit cups with a pinch of sugar to bring out the sweetness.
Avoid buying fruits out of season, as seasonal fruit has the best quality.
Buy fruit at your local farmers' market if possible. Fruit is quite perishable, so shipped fruits at the grocery store can be unpredictable. Good quality local fruits are best, so use these as often as you can.
For added flavors, try mixing nuts, seeds or unsweetened coconut to your fruit salad. Some kids like the taste of sugared ginger or even raisins mixed with fresh fruits.
A serrated knife will smash your fruit. If you lack a small paring knife, use another smooth-edged knife.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
